GOP candidate Flores ducks on supporting Boehner as leader

A top Republican congressional candidate dodged earlier this week on whether or not he'd support John Boehner (Ohio) as House GOP leader.

Bill Flores, the Republican running against Rep. Chet Edwards (D) this fall in Texas's 17th congressional district, would not commit to supporting Boehner as the party's leader in the House.

"I would rather not answer that question," Flores said when asked if he'd support Boehner, according to audio of a meeting with voters obtained by The Hill. "I just would rather not answer that question, if you don't mind."

Flores campaign manager Matt Mackowiak responded on Friday: "All this audio shows is that Bill Flores is focused on winning the congressional race in front of him and that Edwards's campaign is so afraid and desperate that they are smuggling in recording devices to Flores's town hall meetings. Here's one thing we know for certain: Chet Edwards will vote for Nancy Pelosi to be Speaker of the House, and that will continue their reign of financial destruction our country is seeing under the Edwards/Pelosi leadership. Bill Flores will never vote Nancy Pelosi for Speaker."

Flores said during the meeting that he didn't want to talk about leaders, emphasizing he was focused on winning his race before focusing on whom the party's leaders should be.

The 17th district is home to one of the most competitive congressional races this fall, the kind of race Republicans need to win if they want a shot at winning back control of the House this fall.

Edwards is a veteran Democrat who holds the seat despite its strong Republican tendencies. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the race as a "toss-up" ahead of November's elections.